Little Man

This is Wyatt at Sunday School right before the program. He doesn't look to be full of Christmas cheer. I think he was much happier when he was holding his new little puppy buster, and building a snowman. I hope I let my kids be kids when they were little.

Wyatt, Buster and Frosty

Isn't this about the cutest little boy you've ever seen? I remember this day.

A Winter's Day

Such






A long long time ago we can still remember how we used to watch the children laugh and play. And if we had the chance..........

More Quotes

Even though it is Christmas and the whole world is in celebration, my thoughts are still on death. But maybe I'm not so far off track because I really believe that death is an escape from life into eternity. And eternal life is really what Christmas is all about. A miraculous birth of God's own son. Why did God need to save all humanity in this way? Couldn't he just have changed the way of things without sending himself to suffer and die to change the fate of all human souls? I believe that He has to work in the order of his own creation to restore it, staying within the laws he set forth.I don't pretend to understand the unknowable but it makes sense to me that suffering must be important in some way. I don't know how else to explain an all powerful God allowing the pain and suffering throughout the ages. It frustrates me when people ignore this fundamental problem.

So many people try to wrap God up in a pretty little package with an instruction manual included. I think it is an attempt to gain a sense of safety and order; to make life palatable. The pop Christian culture filled with books, music, concerts, etc. seems like packaging to me. Beneath it all is a God that we can't really understand. A God who came to us as a baby, that grew into a man that was rejected and murdered to save us. A God who supposedly can intervene but often allows great suffering such as the holocaust and the genocide happening now in Darfur. I'm not going to solve the problem of pain, no one can. But I also can't gloss over it and pretend there isn't a problem, or begin to think I know God and can decide for all people that I am right.

I believe there is something more beyond this life and I believe it is very good. And right now that is enough for me. Here are the quotes I found:

Death is the golden key that opens the palace of eternity. -Milton

Death is like thunder in two particulars: we are alarmed at the sound of it, and it is formidable only from that which has preceded it. -Colton

Nature is the glass reflecting God, as by the sea reflected is the sun, too glorious to be gazed on in his sphere. -Young

THE SOUL SURVIVES! the arguments from reason by which the immortality of the soul is maintained are well known. But there is another argument, the scope of which has been so immensely enlarged in modern times that the disregard of it by the ancients does not count against its inherent validity. this is the general consent of the race. The future existence of the soul has been held as a matter of popular belief by the people of every age and country. It is found among the Chinese, the Egyptians, the Hindus, the Persians, the Greeks and Romans, the Druids, the Celts, the Germans, the Slavs, and a great variety of uncivilized tribes in North America and South, in the centre of Africa, and in the islands of the sea. there are exceptions, but these are just enough to confirm the rule. The great body of the human family in every age have held, as they hold now, that the soul survives the body; and there is no way of accounting for this unanimity but by admitting the truth of the doctrine. Either it was derived by tradition from our original ancestors, who obtained it from their Creator, or it's evidences lie so deeply impressed upon the constitiuion of man that they compel assent. A judgement held so long, so widely, and by such different races, must be deemed to be correct. -G. F. Wright

Ok, that's probably enough for this post!

Time

Two ways of thinking, the of time and the way of eternity and timelessness are both part of man's effort to comprehend the world in which he lives. Neither is comprehended in the other, nor reducible to it, each supplementing the other, neither telling the whole story. - Robert Oppenheimer

A World of Time
"In the beginning..." The opening line of the most famous book in all history, heard so many times, in so many languages, by so many people has become passe. The full meaniing and significance of the phrase is seldom discerned. It is obvious that with the first words of Genisis we have been taken from the realms of the infinite and placed in a world of the finite. A world of the beginnings and endings. A world of Time. -Lynn Grant Robbins

From the moment we are born
we agree to be taken at our end
Lifted upon murmurs of the others
that we choose to leave behind
~their hoarse and parched whispers spoken softly into the safety of the night~
conversations never had
confessions uttered in the regretful honesty of lost time

We make our fall from the earth
our heavy bones starving to settle
within its cold and damp salvation
And in our last breath we leave our heaviness behind
And we are welcomed
Lifted upon wings of time high, high, high
Into the thinning elevation of the sky

From there we blink down at the world in startled dismay
Surprised by our successful survival
within the turbulent current of time
And soothed by our own vacancy
we remember back to our first breath where we choked and gulped
Taking the air into our burning and unfolding bodies
knowing precisely that this is where we first began our descent

-LAURA HUME

Please share any thoughts or quotes you have. I have been studying this theme for years. I have more I will share later. I think what I am seeking is an explanation of a God who is powerful but somehow limited by his creation of time. What do you think. Please share.

Jeannie

THE BROKEN CHAIN

"WE LITTLE KNEW THAT MORNING THAT GOD WAS GOING TO CALL YOUR NAME.

IN LIFE WE LOVED YOU DEARLY, IN DEATH WE DO THE SAME. IT BROKE OUR HEARTS TO LOSE YOU,

YOU DID NOT GO ALONE; FOR PART OF US WENT WITH YOU, THE DAY GOD CALLED YOU HOME.

YOU LEFT US PEACEFUL MEMORIES, YOUR LOVE IS STILL OUR GUIDE; AND THOUGH WE CANNOT SEE YOU, YOU ARE ALWAYS AT OUR SIDE. OUR FAMILY CHAIN IS BROKEN, AND NOTHING SEEMS THE SAME; BUT AS GOD CALLS US ONE BY ONE, THE CHAIN WILL LINK AGAIN."

Life

"Death is simply the shedding of the physical body, like the butterfly shedding it's cocoon. It is a transition to a higher state of consciousness where you continue to perceive, to understand, to laugh, and to be able to grow." -Elizabeth Kubler-Ross MD
I believe this is true. I believe Wyatt is exploring and enjoying a new life. I think God gives us nature to see His promise of eternal life. The caterpillar changing to a butterfly, leaves falling from the tree then budding again in the spring, these things demonstrate life continuing. I miss Wyatt so much, but I firmly believe only this physical life of time keeps us apart. We'll be together again.

Another Christmas!

The dinner party

Last weekend I got a wild hair and decided to host a small dinner party. And I do mean small, just one couple, in case this thing tanked on me. We invited our good friends, Greg and Karen Park, over on Sat. night. I shopped just a little for food, since this being my first time and all, I wasn't going overboard. I decided on chicken cordon bleu for the entree, just pulled it out of the hat since it sounded good. I googled "menu plan" and came up with the rest of the menu. So, we had chicken cordon bleu with wild rice and fresh green beans tossed in lemon butter. I must say at the risk of a swelled head, it was delicious. And not even slightly hard! I totally did not stress over anything. Jeannie prepared dessert, triple fudge brownie sundaes with a caramel sauce. Delish! Afterwards we played games and visited. It was a totally delightful evening and I plan on doing it again soon!

Tree's up

Unfortunately, a person can't buy a Christmas tree in Dell Rapids anymore. So.....bought one at Menards last night and put it in the stand last night. This morning Jeannie and I decorated it and it looks really nice. Of course, there's always the burned out lights that worked when they were put away last but now they don't? Or half the string works but the other half doesn't. Frustration personified. But it's up and looks great. We also put up some outdoor lights yesterday too. Not a ton, just enough to look festive. Naturally, some of the net lights didn't work today but that's OK, they'll just have to stay that way for awhile. The high today is 17F with a nice stiff northwest breeze. Not a good day to be fumbling around with outdoor lighting. The short days and long nights of the frozen Northern tundra have begun. Yay.

I am going to post pictures from past Christmases. It makes me feel happy to think of all the wonderful times we've had as a family. We were so happy. I remember this Christmas because of the matching outfits I bought the kids. Allison's had to be altered to fit. I was happy to find a sweater for Wyatt that almost matched perfectly. I can't remember why Kyla's face was painted, but isn't it cute! And Ginger just loved that cat, Squeege. I also took the kids to JCPenney for pictures. Kyla's dress in the pictures is wet because she had spilled something on her right before pictures. Greg took this picture of us.

One Year

Thanks to our friends we survived the one year anniversary. I will be forever grateful to all of you who reached out to us. It truly lifted the heavy cloak of grief last week. The cards, emails, flowers, gifts, and visits came totally unexpected. We felt embraced. Wyatt felt a part of it all. Thank You! Kyla was able to come home for the weekend. It was so good to be together. Saturday was a beautiful sunny day. Greg got helium balloons. I wrote up a short message about Wyatt with our address asking them to write if they found the note and tied them to the balloons. Greg, Kyla, LeeAnn, Joslyn, Jasmine, Hunter, Jackson Wyatt, and I took the balloons to the Mother's Healing Garden. Greg said a few words and we sent them off. It was so beautiful! The laminated notes were like mirrors reflecting the sunlight. They rose into the blue sky flashing light as they went. We watched them as they disappeared. It was such a perfect metaphor of Wyatt's spirit. He is so free and still flashing his light in our lives. And even though we can't see him again while we are here, he is with us all the same. Even when our eyes could no longer see those balloons they were still flying to some far away destination. It was a wonderful way to celebrate Wyatt's life.
Jeremy spent a lot of time with us this weekend too. It was so good to share Wyatt, his journals, his pictures, his childhood things. So much of Wyatt's childhood was shared with Jeremy. Kyla and Jeremy stayed up late in the basement talking and reminiscing the past. It was good. Thank you Jeremy!
Today I went to the cemetary to see the garden and stopped by Wyatt's gravesite. Someone had left a grab bag of candy and trinkets. It was so great! Wyatt is so alive in all of our memories. Thank you for remembering him and please, please, please never stop talking about him. We always love to hear his name. We love all of you. -Jeannie

Nov.8th, 2006, election day aftermath

I lost. There it is, not sugar-coated or spun to make it sound like even though I was a few votes short, it was still a victory. I lost by 684 votes.

I won't say I'm not disappointed, because I am. Nobody likes to be a loser. But as Ginger said last night, our family knows what's REALLY important now, and this wasn't the time for me. There were several key issues on the ballot that polarized the Democrats and they did a great job of getting out the vote. Lots of big name Republican incumbants went down yesterday. About half-way through the campaign I came to the realization that with the war in Iraq, abortion, medical marijuana and civil unions on the ballot in SD, this probably wasn't the greatest year to be a Republican challenger.

But, no excuses. It was probably one of the most interesting challenges I've undertaken. I learned a lot, about the GOP, politics and myself. I raised and spent a lot of money. I put a lot of miles on my truck. Time to get on with my life.

Campaign continues.......

22 days left until election day. My real estate business is slowing up somewhat, leaving more time to campaign. I honestly have no idea of where I stand in the polls. The was a phone survey done a couple weeks ago but the results were deemed "inconclusive" because there were too many undecided voters at that time. Maybe it's better this way, I don't know. All I know is, I'm going to give it all I've got until Nov. 7th, cause I'd hate to think I lost just cause I got out-worked. Last Saturday afternoon Jeannie and I worked in Salem. It was a nice day and I really enjoy going door to door meeting people. But it's rather exhausting, after 4 hours I was pooped. Some people want to know your stance on the issues, others just grab the handout and slam the door and some won't even open the door because they don't recognize you. So that's a little awkward, me yelling through the door while they stand on the other side and stare, but for the most part everyone is gracious and receptive.

Dynamite vs. Ambassadors

So, the Dell Rapids Chamber of Commerce came up with a great idea- inviting the Harlem Ambassadors to town for an exhibition game. The Ambassadors being a traveling team, not unlike the Globetrotters, traveling the country and promoting an anti-drug, good sportsmanship message. All good stuff, except who are they going to play once they get here? Enter the Dell Rapids Dynamite, locals who at one time all shined on the court. All except for me. I have no idea why I ever said yes, although I remember a conversation about "political candidate" and "good public exposure." When I got to the gym at 6 pm tonight, the Ambassadors were already warming up. My blood turned to ice water in my veins. They were all gigantically tall, fast and young. They even had a female player who was only 5' 4" but had played pro ball too. Now I thought right up to tip-off that this would be basically a game of keep-away with clowning around. WRONG. These guys are playing for keeps. There were a lot of young guns and not so young guns from DR being given a clinic for free out there. That's when I had a mature moment and decided that my place was on the bench, slapping hands, passing out towels and keeping up morale. Hey, don't be too hard on me, I was the oldest guy on the team, and I couldn't play basketball when I was 20. With age comes wisdom. And I got a really cool t-shirt that says "Dell Rapids Dynamite" on it. All in all, a good night and I live to play another day.

Looking Back

Our local newspaper has a weekly section called "Looking Back", where they take excerpts from the past 10 yrs, 25 yrs and 50 yrs ago and print them. Here's the headline in this weeks "Looking Back" section-
"Redwood hand-hewn shakes make waves 50 years ago."
Thursday, Sept. 27, 1956
"One of the finest homes ever to be built in Dell Rapids is under construction for Dr. and Mrs. R.M. Merkly at 312 9th St. The buildings dimensions are 85 by 34 feet with basement under the entire structure with the exception of the sunroom on the west. There are four bedrooms, living room, dining room, 2 bathrooms, entry and oodles of closets. All the rooms are large and conveniently arranged. There is a two-stall garage in the basement with the remainder of the room to be used as a recreation room. The striking feature of this building is the siding, which is of redwood hand-hewn shakes, painted grey, laid in hit and miss fashion. For those who like something different, this seems to be it."
Isn't that funny? I'm proud yet kind of embarrassed at the same time. I guess nowadays when somebody builds a house, they don't write about it in the newspaper. It's obviously not new, and it seems like I'm continueously tinkering with something, but I still like it. And the "oodles of closets."

10 months have passed.

Wyatt has been gone from this life for 10 months. So many thoughts go through my mind. I was reading an email Wyatt sent Greg and I on October 30th 2005, 17 days before he died. It is such a beautiful email from a son with such zest for living. I want to share it with all of you. Here it is in it's entirity:

Mom and Dad,

I've been in the bush for a couple of weeks now, and though I should
have gotten internet access at some point during that period, the
phone lines were down so there was no connection. I'm sorry for not
writing the last time I got on the internet (the fifteenth, I think).
I wrote you a nice letter, though, hopefully you've gotten it by now
and it's quelled your fear that I won't write.

I have so so so so so much to say. I covered most of the bases in the
REAL letter (a medium which I for one strongly prefer to email), so I
won't repeat myself but I will tell you about my last couple of weeks.

Like I said, I was in the bush. It was our "second site visit,"
meaning that I got to visit the area I'll be working in and actually
finally see the village I will be living in for the next two years.
I've had so many thoughts buzzing through my mind recently it's really
difficult for me to even decide what aspects to focus on...

I guess I'll focus on telling you a little bit about my site. The
name of the main village is Kanyama. The sub-village where I'll be
living is a farming habitation of a 3 generation family of 41. Seven
brothers, their wives and children, and their parents. And me. You
can about imagine. I saw my hut, and I think it will serve me nicely.
I'm sure you sell houses that have more square footage in their
bathrooms alone, but I'm not exactly in the land of plenty here so I
can't complain. The thatch roof kind of sucks when it rains and is
dripping in ten spots, but I suppose you can get used to anything if
you're forced to. My new "dad" is Albert. He's a 35 year old guy,
and a semi-ambitious farmer. When I say farmer you're thinking of
tractors and fences and rolling fields....not the case. Sometimes the
farmers have nothing more than a single hoe. One hoe. That's it.
Their fields are small and rather unproductive, as are their fish
ponds. They just don't have the initial capital or access to
resources necessary to grow any more food than they need to eat (and
sometimes not even enough to do that). It's weird to be in a culture
where there is a word in the language meaning "a time when there is no
meat."

The country itself is beautiful. It's all rolling hills and crystal
clear creeks and rivers. Those high canopy trees which are so typical
of Africa are everywhere. I have an avocado tree in my front yard,
and we have a mango, orange, papaya, banana, and other trees in the
village as well. The sky seems huge here, and everywhere the world
seems to be looming around you. I think it's just the untamed nature
of it. I'm so used to everything being paved, groomed, controlled.
There is no such thing as wilderness in the United States, or very
little of it anyway. It's amazing being in it, working in it, being a
part of it. Picture this: me standing with a farmer beside a pond
trying to speak Lunda with him as we discuss the options he has for
integrating some other crops using irrigation drawn from a nearby
furrow. I'm sweating in the hot sun after having ridden 10 miles down
a ruddy footpath through the forest. I am looking down into a valley
that is absolutely untouched. I have two months of beard growth and
am probably not smelling too great despite the fact that I shower more
often here than I ever did back home. I am constantly covered with a
film of dirt from the roads, unless it's raining, in which case it's
mud.

My village is 70 km from Mwinilunga, which is the nearest
approximation of "civilization." By civilization I mean they have
electricity and plumbing and not much more that you would recognize.
The cities here are so strange, so completely unlike anything in our
country. Most of the buildings are crumbling, all have tin roofs.
Only here a tin roof is a sign of affluence (no drips!). People walk
and ride bikes down the center of the highway, which is literally the
only paved road for hundreds of miles in any direction. No traffic.
Every time a vehicle drives by, and especially when it's filled with
"ayindeli" (white people), everyone rubbernecks and stares after
you've passed. In fact, when you're riding your bike through the
village kids will be yelling "CHINDELI! CHINDELI! HOW ARE YOU?! HOW
ARE YOU?!" It gets annoying. When I yell back, "I'm fine, thanks,
how are you?" they just stare at me in a mixture of shock and
fascination, and have no idea what I just said. They only know those
three words in English.

I still don't feel I've given you a good feel for what it's like to be
here. It's strange. It's definitely challenging. I ate bugs -
flying ants. They were actually pretty good and tasted kind of like
sour cream and onion potato chips (and I'm not just saying that).
I've slept on bare concrete with nothing but a sheet to cover me and a
balled up t-shirt under my head. I've been wet for days on end. I
sweat constantly. I've learned more Lunda in two months than the
Spanish I learned in two years of high school. I also know fish
farming. I know integrated farming. I know conservation methods. I
am amazed at how many hoops I've had to jump through, at how many ways
I'm going to have to be flexible in what I ask for in comfort, in
understanding, and in stimulation. It's going to be rough going, but
I think it's going to teach me a lot about myself and about my place
in the world. Nothing is better for revelations of selfhood than
taking yourself completely out of context. Suddenly you don't have
your friends to tell you who you are, you don't have your family, you
don't have your hobbies and your belongings reminding you of who you
are. Suddenly you just are. It's weird.

I guess I'm going to have obscene amounts of free time. I have a
hammock, I am going to build a porch onto my house, and I have a
garden. I plan to read. A lot. I'm going to read classic
literature, modern literature, some nonfiction (history, biographies)
and whatever else I stumble across. I've already read six (seven
maybe) books since I've been here. It's great. It really has quieted
my mind.

My friends are all harassing me to get this email wrapped up so we can
catch a bus back to Mwekera to get back to training. After my two
weeks of freedom and finally being able to see my site I'm not really
looking forward to the overscheduling of training, but it will be over
in two weeks and I'll have my swearing in as a volunteer. Do a toast
for me on the 18th!

About mailing stuff - sorry about not letting you know whether or not
I had gotten things. Yes, I did. And I really appreciated it. I
hope to have a really good mail correspondence with you guys so that I
don't have to be a slave to the internet any longer. It's a shame
that the mail here is so unreliable, but most things make it
here.....eventually. I got your card, which was really nice, and the
couple of letters that had my loan forms and bills and the like.
Speaking of that I will write another email telling you about my plans
for dealing with that. Nothing is remiss, and no permanent damage has
been done. Late payments aren't good, obviously, and frankly I'm
ashamed of myself for forgetting the forms at home because it has
proven to be a HUGE hassle to get things taken care of here (contrary
to what they told me). Oh well, I'll save this for the next email.

I found out my new address, that is where I'll be getting my mail for
the next two years:

Wyatt Ammon
PO Box 160073
Mwinilunga, ZAMBIA

Easy enough, right? If you send a package there it should be getting
in right as I'm getting posted to my site. Exciting! Once again I'm
sorry for not having written you an email last time I was on the
internet, I didn't realize it was going to be this long before I was
going to be able to get back on and I wanted to ask some questions of
the Peace Corps officials about the loans and stuff (and to get the
forms in the mail, which I have) and formulate a plan so that I could
quell your apprehension. That backfired, but I have now gotten the
info I need and have a workable plan that puts very little
responsibility, financial or otherwise, on your shoulders. Thanks for
being willing to help me and putting up with me.

Let me know if you got my letter, I'll have another one off in the mail shortly.

Much love,

Your only son


Just the other day I ran across a stamp collecting book that Grandpa Ammon gave Wyatt. I thought I will save this for Wyatt when he is older and settled down. But immediately over top of this thought almost simultaneously the reality that Wyatt's future will never be. He is no more. He doesn't see the season changing, he doesn't feel the sharp crispness of the morning air. He won't be back to get his childhood things: legos, micro machines, baseball cards, stamp collection, his scrapbook, all his little treasures stored away. My beautiful, curious, boylike son is gone. How can I endure? But of course as time passes everyone else lives into their future with their children around them, they don't see the emptiness I hide. I don't want to be a miserable person no one wants to be around. I am trapped with no way out. There is no way to comprehend this world where all we can be totally sure of is death, yet we all live like there will be no end to us. Now I see clearly it really is only a question of "Who's next?".

Friday again

I wish I led as interesting a life as some of my fellow bloggers, I really have nothing newsworthy to talk about. The sky is gray and gloomy today, but the last 3 days have been absolutely marvelous, the reason we live here. Crystal clear blue sky, low humidity, no wind and temps in the high 70's. If we didn't have the unpleasant weather I guess we wouldn't appreciate the good days. Good analogy for most of life, I guess.

The campaign is kicking into gear in earnest now. Yard signs, big signs and handouts are being printed. As soon as the handouts are finished, we'll start door to door. I've been instructed not to put up yard signs too early, folks get crabby when they have to look at that stuff for more than month. I'm not taking anything for granted.

Gotta go for now, have a great weekend!

Damp Deadwood nights

So, the weekend didn't turn out the way we'd hoped for, not even close. Friday dawned cloudy and chilly, but it's supposed to clear off. We take off Friday afternoon and it's still not clear, but fairly warm. We stop at Murdo in some light rain for a bite and the weather forcast. Radar shows light ground clutter but clearing further west. We proceed (dark now) to Kadoka. No place to camp, still rain. We press on to Wall (world famous Wall Drug) where we finally say, enough is enough, and sleep on the ground because the rain has stopped. Sat. morning, more clouds and chilly, damp air. We head west and make it to Rapid City and the Flying J Truckstop where it's pretty much pouring. We wait that out under the canopy, then head west again. This time we make it to Sturgis, which looks strange because all the rally vendors are gone, revealing the dumpy little cow town it really is. We leave Sturgis via Vanoeker Canyon and are instantly in beautiful winding roads. I'd never been down this road before because until this year it was gravel. The road ends at Nemo, another little Hills town, where it's raining again. This time we take refuge at a dude ranch/bed'n breakfast, where we have lunch and wait for it to stop. Finally, it does and we're off for Deadwood. When we get there, we find that rooms are a figment of the imagination, because of Kool Deadwood Nights and also, the Central States Fair happening in Rapid City. We take the last 2 tentsites at Whistler Gulch resort, and are happy to get them. After set-up and a shower, we're off for downtown, which is absolutely packed. There wasn't even a place to park a motorcycle. But we persevered and found a spot of grass. After a really poor outdoor concert by Bobby Vee and the Grass Roots, I was ready to give up. We found that the world famous Saloon #10 had live music, so we went in. I must say, that band was the high-light of my trip. They are called Rude Awakening, and they are the best cover band I've heaard in a long time. Back at camp later that night, I held court with our next door camping neighbors from Minot, ND. Great guys, with better Canadian accents than I've heard on some guys from Canada. Sunday morning = more rain, and harder now. We ride to Lead for breakfast and coffee, getting completely soaked in the process. After the worst omelette I've ever eaten, we dejectedly go back to camp, still in the downpour. For lack of anything more worthwhile, we try to nap. By this time, my tent isn't waterproof anymore and water is dripping from the ceiling onto me and the sleeping bag. I'm using dirty laundry to try and keep the floor dry. Everyone is really disgusted now, so we pack up wet and go to town to get a room. But wait, even though it's now Sunday afternoon, it's still officially Kool Deadwood Nights weekend, so one person, single bed is $89.95. At that point, I would've headed for home, but it was just too cold and wet. By happenstance, Lee strikes up a conversation with a c-store clerk, whose mother had passed away a year ago and her house was still furnished but vacant. A deal was struck, $100 changed hands and we have ourselves a furnished house on Main St. Deadwood. Finally, a hot shower and a dry bed, food in the fridge and a washer/dryer. I wash all my wet clothes and sleep like a log. Monday morning it is bright and sunny, of course it is, this is the day we have to go home! Refusing to give up, we decide to ride south through the Hills, exploring as we go. When we finally wind up in Hermosa, I'm shocked to learn it's 4 pm cental time, and we've got 400 miles yet to ride. Still refusing to admit defeat, we decide to ride home on SD Hiway 44, which traverses the southern part of the state, from west to east. I'd never been on that road before and it was beautiful. You can really see a lot more of the Badlands than you do from the interstate. I really enjoyed it, but you can't make very good time. Mostly 65 mph, with some 55 mph, almost all of it through the reservation. Which is neither here nor there, until you've been pan-handled at the gas station for $ for "food". Really sad, it just seems to be an endless cycle of alcoholism, which I'm sure has been studied endlessly by smarter people than myself, with no answers. Home at midnight, cold, wet, exhausted, hungry. Better luck next time.

It's Thursday already

Man, where do the weeks go? Busy, busy, life goes by like a freight train. I've been busy with work and also sending out campaign letters. It's starting to get to the point where every day will count now, cause Nov. will be here before we know it.
But first- another short vacation! My boys and I are leaving tomorrow for a short motorcycle trip, the annual guy trip. Every year it seems like it gets shorter, this will just be a long weekend, we're going back to the Black Hills. Kool Deadwood Nights is this weekend, which is not the reason for the trip, but should be a nice added bonus. I've never been to this event but I've heard it's fun, it's mostly old cars, street rods and motorcycles, they block off the streets and everybody just hangs out and gawks. I'm sure there must be a car show, dance, ect thrown in there too at some point. But that 'll be just a potential side trip, as the real reason we're going is to ride the Hills. The plan is to get out there, set up a base camp in the central Hills and just do day rides from camp. Much easier than setting up and tearing down camp every day. With most schools started already and the glut of Sturgis traffic gone, it should be wonderful riding and exploring. I can't wait for tomorrow.

the labyrinth is laid!

Beards gone

My weeks worth of whiskers is gone, dang it anyway. Last night there was a mixer here in town to raise funds for the Rounds/Daugaard campaign. It was very nicely done, lots of people to meet and socialize with, and always an added bonus, the food was superb. The food was catered by Joanne Beck from Deli of the Dells. She is an unknown treasure. People were standing in line to eat the stuffed mushrooms, greedily wolfing them down as they came steaming out of the oven. But, I digress. Back to the beard- it was pointed out that I probably shouldn't go to this event looking like a scruffy old biker,which I had to admit was true. So, it's back to my clean-shaven self, probably until next year. Someday I shall grow a beard like I had when the twins were born, and get a job as Santa Claus in the mall. Anybody that can grow a magnificent white beard should be properly compensated.

This is a new picture of Greg after his Sturgis trip. What do you think?

Our triumphant return

Here we are, back home again on Sunday night. I am looking a bit road weary. Recognize Kyla's coat?

And........we're back

It was everything I'd hoped it would be. The trailer pulled great. The bike ran great. Kyla & I got along perfectly. I am "wicked cool". More later. I'll try to post a picture.

Sturgis

Approx. 15 hours to blast-off. Trailer is finished and waiting to be loaded. Kyla should be off work in a couple hours and on her way home. Wish us luck for a good trip. Report next week. Toots!

Rain!

We finally got some much-needed rain last week. I believe we got close to 5 inches total in two different little storms. And it took away the terrible heat and humidity. It has just been perfect weather here for the last couple days. I still haven't mowed my lawn since July 4th and it really doesn't need it yet but it's starting to look a little scraggly around the edges. I'll do it before I leave. For Sturgis. In 72 hours we should be there. Last night I had to take a Tylenol PM to fall asleep, cause I was so worked up about going. Uncle Brian got my new trailer done so Jeannie and I went to Mitchell yesterday afternoon, after my open house, to pick it up. It's a beauty, and is big enough to hold all our camping gear and luggage. It still needs to be wired and painted but I should be able to get that done easily before Wed. night. I plan to leave early Thursday morning. I've been scoping out entertainment options for us and when I told Kyla Alice in Chains was playing at the Buffalo Chip, she immediately wanted to go, so there's one night's worth. I don't know anything about Alice in Chains, but I reckon I'll learn before the night's over.

Finally Friday

I feel better, thanks, but not because it's cooled off. There will be record highs broken all over the state this weekend the way it sounds. Mom, Allie and I (and Sugar) are going to Mnpls. this weekend to take Kyla a new (to her) mattress and boxspring. Actually, it's our old mattress and boxspring but it's better than the one she's got, so it's getting re-gifted. Allie will get Kyla's and when she's done with it, it'll finally go to the dump. We like to get our moneys worth out of our bedding products.
I am the secretary at the office this morning. Christy has taken a long weekend to go camping with her family, and good for her. I hope the a/c works in their camper! My broker, Lee and his wife left last night on a weekend motorcycle trip. Friday's are always busy here at the office but I feel up to manning the fort alone today. Busy=time flys by fast.
Uncle Brian from Mitchell is building me a small trailer to pull behind my motorcycle for the Sturgis trip. The more I thought about it, the more I wasn't comfortable with trying to strap 2 tents, 2 sleeping bags, 2 bedmats, 2 softsider bags and more probably, onto my motorcycle. We'd look like we belonged in the circus. Trailer is the way to go, I hope. I've never pulled one with a bike before, but lots of people do. It will also have room for a small cooler and lawn chairs too. We'll be all set! 12 days to blast-off!
Have a great weekend!

Not much, but thanks for asking.......

I hate to let my blog sit idle, but I also hate it that I don't have anything exciting or frankly, even interesting to blog about. Life just seems to trudge uneasily along, we walk around the house and each other, vaguely uneasy, never fully relaxed or at ease, carefully choosing our words. I feel like I'm waiting for the other shoe to drop. I feel like I should be somewhere else, doing something, but I don't know what it is. I feel like I should work all the time, because then I don't have to think about what my life has or is becoming. And I can't even define what I am becoming. I feel like I'm being pulled along by lifes changes while I stand by helplessly on the sidelines, watching everything unfold. My jaws hurt from unconciously clenching my teeth. I exhort to everyone to move on with their lives, and I'm seemingly unable to myself. It's hard to remain optomistic. My mom is not well. My kids aren't happy. My wife is not happy. I feel powerless to change any of it. I feel like Jack Nicholsen in "About Schmidt". Not many of you faithful readers have seen this movie, I'll wager. It wasn't a big hit. But it tells the story of a man that, even at the end of his life, is struggling to find purpose and meaning in his very existence. The movie won't make you feel good. But just the fact that other people have the same questions is a comfort in it's own way, I guess. Rent it sometime and tell me what you think about it. I don't follow such things, but Nicholsen should've won as Oscar for this role.

Beach Bum

I told you all a while back I was going on the South Beach diet and if it didn't work, you'd never hear another word about it. Well, like anything else in life, the end result is directly equal to the amount of effort that's applied. Since I started strong but faded on the back-stretch, I am stuck at 196 lbs. Much better than where I started but not where we need to be. I'm not discouraged or disgusted, I'm just in a holding pattern. I just have to be super vigilant about not gaining it back. One of these days I will find my motivation and go after those last 10 lbs. Until then, I will continue to walk past the Wells Blue Bunny Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough ice cream, 2 half-gallons on sale for $5. I can't have any ice cream and cookies, can I johnandleeann????????

The political campaign is picking up steam slowly. Last Sat. we were in 2 parades, the first in Colton , the second in Canistota. They couldn't have been more different. Colton's parade route was 3 blks long, packed with people, and done real quick. Canistota on the other hand, wants to get their moneys worth, once they get you to town. The parade route had to be 3 miles long. Some blocks there were only 2 spectators. We quickly realized that we were the only entry that had parade walkers. Everyone else was riding on a float or 4 wheeler. OK, now I get it, it's 103F and poor Grandma and Jeannie are losing ground fast. They hung in there like troopers though and we made it through. We enjoyed a cool lunch in the cafe across from the world-famous Ortman Clinic.

Work continues to be busy, which is a good thing. Winter will be here soon enough. Kyla and I leave for Sturgis in 20 days, which will fly by in the blink of an eye. I am excited for the trip and hope she won't be disappointed. It's been a long time since we've been camping together in a tent, but it must be done, in order to experience the consumate Sturgis. Unfortunately, no campfires. The Black Hills are always tinder dry this time of year, so there's always a fire ban. North Dakota is half burned up already. It is scary dry here, and worse by the day.

dogsitting update

I defy anyone to prove to me there is a stupider dog on the planet. This afternoon I rushed home from Sioux Falls about 4 pm to let the dog out, since she'd been locked in the house since before 9. Of course she's happy to see me, she dances on her hind legs, she rolls and stretches in the grass, she sniffs the ground for unseen tidbits. She doesn't pee. I know she has to, but maybe she's got a shy bladder, so I go in the house so as to not stare at her while she does her business. I fetch in the mail, clean off the counter, waste about 10 minutes I could've been doing something constructive, then go back to the door. She's standing there, looking at me with her black shoe-button eyes, and waiting. I let her in, tell her what a good dog she is, pick her up for a little doggie lovin' and SHE PEES ALL OVER MY GOOD PANTS! It doesn't do any good to get mad, there is no shame, there is no comprehension. Lights are on but nobody's home at the Sugar residence. JEANNIE, COME HOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Dogsitting

Jeannie left last night for Blue Cloud Abbey, a Benedictine monastery in northern SD. It's certainly not where I would spend a week of my vacation, but she meditates, paints, and uses the quiet time to get her head straight. I don't mind so much being a bachelor for a week, but I'm also dogsitting for Sugar, which is not my favorite thing to do. I tolerate this dog, because Jeannie loves her so much, but she is high maintainence. Last night she laid in the back entryway all night, waiting for Jeannie to come home. I'm sure we'll be fine, just a little adjustment on both sides.

Last weekend was Hot Harley Nights in Sioux Falls, a huge fund-raiser for the Make-A-Wish foundation. There was reportedly 7,000 motorcycles in downtown on Sat. night. My friends and I rode down for the parade. It started at J&L Harley, which is basically out in the country on the north end of town, and wound through town, ending up in downtown, where there was a band, vendors and LOTS of people. I would put the crowd at 20,000, easily. We didn't stay too long, visited with some friends I hadn't seen for a while, ate some good chislic and headed back north. It was fun.
Work has just been super busy, which is a good thing. 3 of my listings have gone sale pending in the last week. I had 2 open houses yesterday and 2 more next Sunday. The downside to real estate is working weekends in the summer, but that's just the way it is. There is no such thing as the perfect job.
30 days from today Kyla and I will be in Sturgis. She has never been on a bike trip, let alone Sturgis, so I'm looking forward to it with great anticipation. We're only going to have a few days, and there's so much to see and do, we'll be busy non-stop. I can't wait!

Dogsitting

Jeannie left last night for Blue Cloud Abbey, a Benedictine monastery in northern SD. It's certainly not where I would spend a week of my vacation, but she meditates, paints, and uses the quiet time to get her head straight. I don't mind so much being a bachelor for a week, but I'm also dogsitting for Sugar, which is not my favorite thing to do. I tolerate this dog, because Jeannie loves her so much, but she is high maintainence. Last night she laid in the back entryway all night, waiting for Jeannie to come home. I'm sure we'll be fine, just a little adjustment on both sides.

Last weekend was Hot Harley Nights in Sioux Falls, a huge fund-raiser for the Make-A-Wish foundation. There was reportedly 7,000 motorcycles in downtown on Sat. night. My friends and I rode down for the parade. It started at J&L Harley, which is basically out in the country on the north end of town, and wound through town, ending up in downtown, where there was a band, vendors and LOTS of people. I would put the crowd at 20,000, easily. We didn't stay too long, visited with some friends I hadn't seen for a while, ate some good chislic and headed back north. It was fun.
Work has just been super busy, which is a good thing. 3 of my listings have gone sale pending in the last week. I had 2 open houses yesterday and 2 more next Sunday. The downside to real estate is working weekends in the summer, but that's just the way it is. There is no such thing as the perfect job.
30 days from today Kyla and I will be in Sturgis. She has never been on a bike trip, let alone Sturgis, so I'm looking forward to it with great anticipation. We're only going to have a few days, and there's so much to see and do, we'll be busy non-stop. I can't wait!

4th of July, 2006

It's July 5th today, time to put this very strange holiday behind us. I don't even know how to describe what it was like, very disconcerting. We spent the weekend camping down by Yankton like we have so many years in the past, all big, noisy crowded affairs filled with nieces, nephews, our own kids, coming, going, fighting, laughing and always eating.
This year, it was just Grandma & Grandpa and Jeannie & me. Deb and Brian and Tim and his girlfriend came down for a picnic on Sunday, but the other 4 days were just us. Not that it was a bad thing but just so weird, to go from a huge family get together to 4 old people, hanging out. It was great spending time with my parents and we had some great card games but it was like, where is everybody? this is going to take some getting used to, and frankly, I don't like it. As usual, you don't know what you've got 'til it's gone.

Quarry Days

I survived my first campaign parade, the Quarry Days parade last Sat. I had practically my entire extended family there helping, bless their hearts. Some rode in the car, (Sunkist, my '41 Chevy, now pressed into parade duty) others walked along and handed out candy to the crowd. I learned 2 valuable lessons- 1) it is impossible to shake everyones hand and keep up with the rest of the parade. 2) Don't wear cowboy boots. They're fine for ambling along but I was in full blown sprint most of the time. All told, I thought the team did a great job, thanks everybody! It was a beautiful day, and except for a thunderstorm on Friday night, a beautiful weekend. The cardboard boat races on Sat. afternoon were really fun and the LandMark Realty boat, piloted by Allie, Amanda, Erin & Jeff took first place in the "B" feature, all of them managing to stay dry. I have never seen so many campers in the campground, ever. I do believe it was party central down there. Grandma & Grandpa had their camper set up down there, but ended up spending 2 out of the 3 nights at our house due to excessive campfire smoke, no parking and general hooliganism. It was pretty much a free for all. The fireworks display last night was great as usual, a fitting end to a perfect weekend.

Candy memories

So I'm preparing for this weekend and there are all these details, not the least of which is, what do we hand out while we're walking the parade route. I know you can go through candy like corn through a goose, so I get on the phone and start checking around. One phone call later, I score. Queen City Wholesale in Sioux Falls will sell me a 25 lb case of assorted hard candy for, get this, $26.15! Now think about the candy you buy in the c-store. I didn't do any factual research or anything but how much candy is usually in those little bags? 2 oz? for 99 cents? or more? This is a dollar a pound, people! It made me smile to think of how excited Wyatt would be to hear of this great discovery. If he were here for the parade, I would certainly have needed another case. That boy was a candyholic. I never said anything to him about it either and now I'm glad I didn't. Didn't matter in the end, now did it?

Time to campaign

It's been kind of slow in the political arena, but now is the time of the year when all of the towns in my district have their annual summer festival, which means parades, which means me being in the parades, pressing the flesh and kissing babies. We're starting out this Sat. right here in Dell Rapids, with our own little celebration, www.quarrydays.com. I'm pleased to see that we have a larger variety of activities planned than in years past, so I hope we have a great turn-out. I'm having t-shirts and banners made for the parade as we speak, so it should be fun. If I ever figure out how to post a photo on this blog, I'll put one up of the parade.

Yesterday was Father's Day and the 7 month anniversary of Wyatt's passing. A very bittersweet day indeed. I spent it with my own father. It was a beautiful day and we enjoyed it, every second. As fathers who have both lost sons, we have a bond that no one else will ever know. A special thanks to Donald, Ali and Kasha, who remembered me yesterday, along with their own dads.

Labyrinths

I thought I would post a short article about labyrinths for all of you who don't know much about them. The garden plans are moving slowly. We are waiting for the brochures to be printed. We are planning to get underway on the garden in about 2 weeks. We can't wait to have a place to go to pray and meditate.



Why would I walk the Labyrinth?
Even though historic pilgrimage travel may not be available to everyone, the need for Pilgrimage is still present deep within each life. Pilgrimage represents our spiritual journey, our desire to grow spiritually, and in the Christian tradition, represents our commitment to Christ. Because of its Sacred Geometry, physically walking the many turns in the pattern stimulates a most quieting and conducive brain-wave pattern which opens our heart and mind to the awareness of the holy presence of God within.

Jesus said, The kingdom of God is within you. But just where is that kingdom really to be found in our human life experience? How do we attain it in this fast-paced society? No matter what our spiritual orientation, most of us need to contact that special state of awareness via the practice of prayer, corporate worship, quieting, centering, or meditating through a form of spiritual discipline. Just as spirituality is not a spectator sport, the labyrinth is not a one-time event, even though many report marvelous insights from their first experience. Rather, it invites you to deepen your spiritual experience, to 'be still and know,' to seek the Kingdom within. In short, walking the Labyrinth offers the following:

It can serve as a mechanism to reconcile you to a new spiritual way.

It can help you quiet your mind, and prepare you to listen for God.

It can help you pray with your heart (instead of with words).

It can serve as an alternative to meditation.

Dr. Lauren Artress points out that the seeking of answers to our questions is the act of walking a sacred path. When we walk the labyrinth, we discover our sacred inner space. We are attracted to healing tools such as the labyrinth because they deepen our self-knowledge and empower our creativity. Walking the labyrinth clears the mind and gives insight into the life journey.

In the words of Marilyn Campbell, All Saints' Labyrinth facilitator, "Allow yourself 45-60 minutes to experience the meditative walk. Be assured that there is no right or wrong way to walk this path. There are no tricks or decisions to make, one only follows the winding pathway into the center, then returns by way of the same path."

And finally, as excerpted from the Hungry Heart News, "The labyrinth allows us to offer up to God the reality of our lives, trusting in Godâs immense love and grace... The very life of Christian faith is a labyrinth -- full of unexpected turns and twists, requiring us to step forward in faith, confident that Christ -- our Way, our Truth, and our Life -- is at the center of the very universe and at the heart of our life in God."

Wyatt's Poker Run = Success!

All the work and worry and anticipation and then- poof! So quickly, it's over. But what a glorious day it was! A recap-
Friday night I quit working about 6 pm. Ginger was already here, having flown in on Wed. night. A very good help she was on Thursday but Friday was a sunny day and even demi-goddesses have to be tan, so I lost her to the beach towel and tanning lotion. No matter as we were winding down. Friday night was to be a relaxed evening on the patio, renewing old friendhips, and so it was. Kyla and Lauren got in about dark from Mnpls, Bobbi, Josh and friends from southern MO, Will from WI, Ali from CO, Laura from Mnpls, many more friends and family. We grilled and ate and laughed, it was great.
Sat. morning dawned kinda cloudy but the forecast was for a hot, sunny day. We loaded up t-shirts and registration forms and headed to Sioux Falls about 10 am. It started to rain on me on the way down and I had a couple bad thoughts for a second but then it quit. Once we got down there, I found out the first disturbing fact of the day- there was ANOTHER POKER RUN LEAVING FROM THE SAME PLACE! No wonder the owner had not been staying in touch with me. Whether or not by accident or design, we had a local ABATE chapter set up right next to us in the parking lot. The (very literally) big guy from ABATE was whining and crying like a baby as soon as we got there, he couldn't believe we'd scheduled our run on the same day, they'd had the first weekend in June for 16 years, blah, blah, blah. He was really starting to get annoying and I was on the verge of telling him he didn't own June 3rd, no matter how much he liked to think he did, when he gave it up and went back to his table to sulk. So we're set up by 10:30 am and in the next hour we'd registered maybe, oh, 10 people. I was starting to get nervous. It was so bad we had to forge an alliance with the ABATE folks that we would ask anybody that came to our table which run they were actually there for, so we wouldn't steal each others people. About 11:45 things got busy in a hurry. Suddenly we couldn't keep up and there were lines. It felt so great to ask someone I'd never met before which ride he was there for and have him reply, "I'm here for Wyatt". There was a group of friends from Dell Rapids that actually chartered a bus, filled it and came to the run. It was awesome and overwhelming. From then on, the day was a piece of cake, riding to each spot, spending some time on the bike with my daughters, visiting with all our friends and making new ones. Too soon, it was almost 6 pm and we had to be back to the Old Dutch Inn for the drawing for best hand. All the winners graciously donated the money back to the fund. We all ate great food donated by Tom & Jamie of the Old Dutch, then danced and sang the night away with karaoke. I haven't tallied final numbers yet, but between 175-200 poker hands were sold. Special thanks to Jack at the Sidewinder, Mark & Elizabeth from Baltic Corner, Trisha & Matt from the Prarieview, Kathy & Chris from the Colton Bar, Steve from Steve's Bar in Trent, Susan & Smith Publishing for the flyers, Chris Hintz and Pinnacle Entertainment for karaoke, and last but certainly not least, Tom & Jamie from the Old Dutch Inn. I know I'm forgetting someone, forgive me, it wasn't intentional. Thanks to all of Wyatt's friends and family who traveled long distances to be with us. What a tremendous tribute to our son. Thank you all from the bottom of our heart.

68 1/2 hrs

'til the poker run! The last week has been pretty much a blur. Memorial Day weekend was spent at a family reunion in Missouri. We snuck down to Branson for a day before the reunion. Jeannie had never been there before so it was fun. My folks went with us too. We saw 2 shows, a Broadway review and the Fabulous Platters. The Platters are old but they did all their hits and some Motown. Tickets were only $20 and the show lasted for over 2 hours so I guess we got our moneys worth. The family reunion was nice, very low-key and relaxed. There were conflicts because of the weekend so we were kinda short on relatives but the ones that were there enjoyed themselves.
The patio is finished and looks great. There are still many projects that are unfinished and so they shall remain. I'm not going to stress myself out doing stuff nobody else notices but me. The place is presentable and clean and that's all that matters. I think Ginger missed her plane this morning. She was supposed to be here at noon but a voicemail on my phone said that "a mixup with the flight" caused her to be coming in at 6 pm instead. Doesn't matter. She's gonna be here soon. And so will everybody else. Can't wait! The weather is supposed to be perfect, so here's hoping for the best.

Happy Birthday!

Happy 49th birthday to Jeannie Gayle Ammon! In 2 weeks we'll celebrate our 29th anniversary. She has been and is my best friend, confidante, analyst, career coach and most important of all, mother of my children. She loves me with her whole heart, despite all my faults and short-comings. I couldn't have asked for a better life partner. We've been through tough times before, and we'll get through this tough time together. Happy birthday baby, you deserve more than I can ever give you. I love you!

Things are moving fast now

The poker run is 2 weeks from this Saturday and the days are flying by. There are lots of little things that I want to get finished before company comes. Tomorrow is Jeannie's birthday. Saturday is graduation from good 'ol Dells High for Amelia and then Sunday at noon we put her on the plane back to Norway. She has really got herself worked up and I can see why, how strange would it be to go back to friends and family you haven't seen for over 9 months? I have to commend her, after all our family has been through in the last 6 months, she has done her best to not be a bother and aside from a few bumps, she hasn't been. I'll miss her company and the life she brought to the house.
The new patio is going in tomorrow so if everything works out like it should, we'll be relaxing on it the night before the poker run.
PS- Don't feel sorry for Jeannie having another birthday, she's still in her 40's, unlike some of us.

A Mother's Healing Garden

I am so excited. Our plans are coming along so well for the garden. DreamScapes is helping us with the design, and construction. We are now in the process of getting a brochure printed to tell about the garden. We are selling memorial pavers to cover the cost of construction, along with a few grants we are applying for. We feel confident it will all work out. It will be great to have a labyrinth to walk right here in Dells. We will do a dedication when we are finished and talk about how to use it. It is going to be beautiful.
And it is only 1 1/2 weeks until the poker run. It helps us to have projects to keep our minds focused on something postitive. I have also been attending a grief workshop in Sioux Falls with my good friend Carol. Thank you to all of you who remembered me on Mother's Day. It was a hard day but your love helped me through. I don't know what I would do with all the really wonderful people in my life. I love you all.

Day 120, give or take

of this cold, miserable, dark, gloomy weather. I'm sick of it! Where's the sun? Where's the global warming? I need sun! I need to sunburn my big, red face. I need to sweat profusely. High today- low 50's, dark overcast skies, cold north wind, coat on, furnace running. Blah. This weather pattern better change soon or I'm gonna.......complain some more.

It's a mystery

where the time goes, the weeks fly by. It's already Wed., May 10th. The last few days have been pretty nice, although very windy, and everybody is furiously working on their yards and gardens, landscaping and planting flowers. It's supposed to rain tonight again so I suppose I'd better mow again. Although I finally ressurected the riding mower, it is burning oil like the wind and it actually doesn't mow worth a toot anymore, so I've been mowing with the push mower. It takes longer but it looks nicer when I'm done. I wanted to get the house painted this spring but after one bid came back at $5,250, that has been put on hold. I'll either do it myself or find somebody that is more reasonable. Yikes! Other than that, the new full length glass front entry door has been installed and it is great. So much more light in the front foyer, it no longer looks like a tomb as you walk through. You can't beat natural light. Now Jeannie wants a skylight in the kitchen but that will have to wait 'til I win the lottery.
Jeannie and I have both been faithfully sticking to the South Beach diet. We're in the second phase which allows more carbs, mainly some whole wheat bread and fruit. Which is a really good thing if you haven't had any for 2 weeks. I have made it to 208 lbs, finally. The last week was kind of lateral movement, but the book says the weight will come off more slowly once you move into the second phase. I haven't drank a beer in 3 weeks and surprisingly, haven't missed it. I always enjoyed a cold beer with my evening meal but I guess it was more habit than anything cause water tastes just fine. Unfortunately, beer has lots of sugar in it, and that seems to be the key to making this work. I like the way my pants fit better than I liked the beer.
Last weekend in Duluth, I visited the open house at the local Harley dealership. Long story short, I walked out with a new Softail Deluxe. Very spur of the moment, but I absolutely love it. It is beautiful and I enjoy it more than I thought I would. Now it's time to send the old Electraglide down the road. As my wife gently reminded me yesterday, we really can't afford to have 2 Harleys in the garage. Maybe if I wait for that lottery thing.........

Life's better on the beach

As promised, I'm updating my progress on the South Beach diet. It's been working well and I'm very satisfied with the results. I will admit that we're running out of groceries and since we're leaving for the weekend, I don't want to buy any more, so the menu selection is getting monotonous. That'll change next week when I move into phase 2 and start introducing some good carbs (like fruit) back into the mix. I'm pretty convinced by now my whole problem was sugar overload. When I cut out the sugar, I started to feel better almost immediately. It was rather amazing. I'll have another blood test in a couple months and see if my body agrees with what I've been feeding it lately. Anyway, I feel better and I'm down to 211 lbs this morning. Still flabby, but 12 lbs less flab than 2 weeks ago.
I'm excited for the weekend. We're leaving this afternoon for Duluth. Our youngest neice, Val, is getting confirmed on Sunday. We're staying at Kyla's apt. in the Cities tonight. Poor Sugar has to go to the kennel while we're gone. She's not happy about it either. Hopefully we'll get to tour the Glensheen Mansion while we're there and visit the harbor. Duluth is one of the coolest cities ever. Too bad it's so dang cold there! But still a great place to visit. That's all for now. Have a great weekend!

Poker Run is ON! June 3rd, 2006

The 1st Annual Wyatt Ammon Memorial Poker Run is on! I've established the route and all the stops, now I need to get the flyers printed and advertise the heck out of it. Here's the itinerary-
sign-up= Sidewinder Bar, N. Cliff Ave. Sioux Falls from 11-1.
1st stop= Baltic Corner Bar, in the country by Baltic
2nd stop= Prarieview Steakhouse & Lounge, Dell Rapids
3rd stop= Colton Bar, Colton
4th stop= Steve's Bar & Grill, Trent
5th and last stop= Old Dutch Inn, Dell Rapids. Last card by 6 pm. Prizes to follow asap. There will also be food and karaoke at the Old Dutch after the poker run.

I understand there's some confusion as to exactly what a poker run is. I'll try to explain as best I can. At the sign-up spot, you'll sign a waiver that says you won't hold us responsible if you somehow manage to disable, dismember or kill yourself while participating in this event. Then you pay $10 for a poker sheet. The poker sheet has five places on it. At each of the 5 stops, you'll find the card table and draw a card from the deck. The card you draw will be designated on your poker sheet by the volunteer manning the table, along with a special stamp, showing you actually were there, and not just filling in the card by yourself. No cheating now! At the last stop, you'll draw your 5th and final card and then turn in your sheet to the judges. Best poker hand wins! You can buy as many poker sheets as you like at sign-in. Payback will be to the best 3 hands drawn. !st= $100, 2nd= $50, 3rd= $25. Hopefully there will be some other prizes donated that will be given away as well.

You don't need a motorcycle or specialty vehicle to do the poker run. There are generally lots of motorcycles and hot rods, just because people that own these are always looking for a good reason to get them out of the garage and show them off. It's certainly not a requirement. The route I picked isn't a long one and you have 5 hours to complete it. That leaves plenty of time at each stop to socialize, admire the cars & bikes, or just enjoy the drive.

We are certainly hoping for a beautiful 80F day but this run will happen, rain or shine. All proceeds will go to the Wyatt Ammon Scholarship Fund. Please come and join us if you can. I'm VERY excited about this event and I'm looking forward to greeting each of you personally on June 3rd.

Spring

isn't here yet. It is colder than a Minnesota well drillers gizzard here today. Highs that never got out of the 40's and a very stiff north wind. Some of our tulips bloomed over the weekend though, so maybe there's still hope. It's not all bad, the weekend was absolutely gorgeous. 70's and no wind, the likes of which we probably won't see again for a while, if you can believe the extended forecast. I had a list of things to do this first nice weekend, that was as long as my arm. The warmer it became, the slower I moved. Dad said I was suffering from spring fever. He could be right. I guess spring fever must mean something different now that I'm 50 than it did when I was a young man. ;-(
Mom and Dad brought their new camper to Dell Rapids this weekend to show it off, and check things out to make sure everything worked properly. It is very nice, with a jumbo living room slide, something their old one didn't have. We visited them down at the campground on Sat. night, meaning to play cards, but ended up watching the movie "Somethings Gotta Give" on tv. Jack Nicholson is so old and nasty, but he's a great actor. Keanu Reeves however, I can do without. Forever. How in the name of moviemaking, did this doof ever break into the business?
One thing that didn't happen over the weekend was me getting the riding mower started. Not for lack of trying, but it just wouldn't cooperate. I ended up mowing part of the yard with the push mower, which was better for me physically I'm sure. I'll try again tonight but the old Sears mower just may have to be turned out to pasture.

Catching up......

My oh my, time goes by in a hurry. Every day I have good intentions to post and then something comes up and........so we'll see if this gets posted.

The weather today in SD is not nice, cold and rainy here but get this- in the Black Hills they are forecasting 8-12" of new snow with 60-70 mph winds! Incredible! As bad as I want spring to be here, I always enjoy a good old-fashioned blizzard, the likes of which we don't see much of anymore. I do feel sorry for the ranchers though, the sight of cattle bunched in a corner, suffocated, isn't a pretty sight.

We spent a lovely Easter with Grandma & Grandpa in Mitchell. I mean it was nice to spend time with the fam, the day wasn't so great, but of course, when it was finally time to go home, the sun came out and it warmed up slightly. Kyla came home and Allie rode along with us too, so it was nice to be together, as much as we could. Of course, Grams went all out on the food, so it was not a diet day. Which is a nice lead-in to my latest endevour- The South Beach Diet. I'm not going to be an old person and complain about my health here but I had a blood panel done a couple weeks ago and unfortunately, the results were pretty much what I'd feared. So, time to make some life-style changes. My sister, Deb, and her family have had some really quite spectacular results on South Beach, so Jeannie and I have decided to give it a try. As an added bonus for you, faithful reader (and an incentive for me) I'll tell you right now that my starting weight was 223 very flabby lbs. My other incentive is to be able to actually wear the really cool shirt with pearl snaps that Ginger gave me for Christmas. So stay tuned on my progress. Rest assured however that if I manage to blow yet another diet, you'll never hear another word about it.

Last week, on a nicer day than today, I decided it was time to get my knees in the breeze and get the Harley out. I managed a 250 mile ride, not too shabby considering I never got going 'til 3 pm. I took a nice slow ride to Sioux City, IA, with bad intentions. I actually wanted to ride a BMW. Gasp! I know, I know. Hey, I never said I was going to buy one. But the thought of 110 hp vs the 68 hp of my Harley has my curiosity piqued. Naturally, when I got there I was informed he'd just sold the demo model and sorry about that, maybe you can come back tomorrow? Maybe not. The ride down was fairly pleasant, although Hiway 75 was so rough I actually had to stop and let some air out of my shocks before I jarred a filling loose. I'm an old farm boy and proud of it, but 125 miles of smelling nothing but pig s*** was getting old. It's true! Iowa really must be the hog capital of the US. That smell was always in the air. Needless to say, I took I-29 home. SD has stricter laws against large hog confinement operations and now I can see one of the reasons why.

The rejukification of the house continues. Albeit at a snails pace. It's fun for me and I also like to complain about it, so if it ever got finished, what would I have to do???????? Just another reason why I guess I'll never own a new house. Toots for now.

"Look to the future, because that is where you'll spend the rest of your life."
George Burns

Mothers' Garden

My friend Carol has developed a wonderful plan to build a Mothers' Garden at the cemetary. She has asked me to help with it. We will try to find others who will help too. The cemetary has agreed to give us a parcel of land to use. Our vision is that it will be a quiet, beautiful place where we can all go to meditate, pray and remember our loved ones. I'm very excited about creating a space like this that is healing instead of so sad. Wyatt really enjoyed plants and the outdoors. He was a grounds keeper at Hamline one summer. He told me his favorite flower was an Iris. We have a cluster by our back door. I plan to take some of them and put them in the garden when we get to that point. I will keep you posted about our progress.
I've started to do a little writing. I will maybe post some of it now and then. Here is a sample.

Time is death in sheep's clothes.

Stare into it's face
Watch for the sleight of hand
Beware the innocent
tick tock
it is Death's march.

My stance on.........

Yeah, for a minute there I was fired up to write something political, my views about the SD abortion ban, Hurricane Katrina relief efforts or some other hot-button topic, but I'm over it now. Rest assured, I will have my say on all these and more, just not today. It's a beautiful day here in SD, the sun is shining, the wind isn't blowing (? how is that possible?) and some snow is melting. Things have been going as well as possible here. We are both staying busy, with work and things at home, so that makes the days go by. I have all these projects going at home, nothing huge, just home-owner stuff. By far the most fun project this winter has been redecorating the bar/pool room area. It is really coming around nicely, haven't spent a lot of money. A lot of the stuff I have had for years, waiting for the right place to hang it all. I have been totally remiss at not doing this when we first moved to this house. I was so pumped when we moved, I finally had my own space. Then I proceed to do nothing. I am the king of procrastination. But it looks cool now. Biker/cowboy trashy chic. My old Pioneer receiver circa 1976, is back, pumpin' 75 watts per channel through the Infinity speakers. Some neon, mirrors & assorted junk. Feels really good down there now. I like to do it a little bit at a time, then sit there and look at everything. I guess I'm probably pretty old to be doing some of this stuff, but I never had the time, place or money to do it when I was young, and I do think I appreciate it more now that I had to wait for it. If I could just afford a pin-ball machine for Jeannie, we'd be complete. She does love to play pin-ball!

Giveaway: one cocker spaniel

So last night I laid my new $300 glasses on the coffee table while I was watching TV. This morning they were a mangled piece of plastic with one lens missing. Sugar, the 1/8 wit, partially house-broken cocker spaniel, is living on borrowed time.

Ishmael

I remember last year Wyatt telling me to read the book Ishmael. I never got around to getting it. When I read Wyatt's journal from Zambia, he talks about the way he saw the human race headed. He acknowledged that it was a ripoff of Ishmael, but seeing that even the primitive tribes in Africa were becoming dependent on our western way of living made him think that there really was no return for us. So I took a Barnes and Noble gift card that Wyatt had in his wallet and bought the book. The gift card had just enough to cover the cost of the book, so in essence Wyatt bought it for me. It was very thought provoking. It breaks down all people into two categories, the takers and the leavers. It gives a whole new perspective on the genesis account of creation and the fall of man. I thoroughly enjoyed. Daneil Quinn has written several books which illuminate his philosophy. I plan to read more of them. If anyone has read any of his books please comment here on my blog your reactions to them.

We won!

Congratulations to the Dell Rapids Lady Quarriers, 2006 State A Champs! After a close call with Vermillion on Thursday afternoon, they settled down and played great basketball the rest of the tournament. It was a great weekend, I think the whole town of Dell Rapids was in Mitchell. I had a very relaxing time with my parents, going to the games and just hanging out at their house. I stayed just a little too long there yesterday though, and got caught in a nasty blizzard on the way home. The last hour of the trip was 40 mph, a single file conga line that stretched for miles on I-90. The passing lane was just too snowpacked to pass and visibility was horrible. There is no school in Dells today because of the blizzard and I just spent the whole morning blowing snow so I could get the car out of the garage. Kyla called and she couldn't make it to work either, the blizzard that was here yesterday is in MN today. I talked to Ginger on IM this morning and it's supposed to be 83F in DC today. Not fair!!!!

State A Tournament, here we come!

The Dell Rapids girls basketball team, has had an amazing year. The Lady Quarriers are 23-0 and ranked #1 in the state. After mowing down the competition in the districts and region, the team left this morning for the State A Girls Basketball Tournament in Mitchell. We play in the first round tomorrow afternoon at 1 pm in the world famous Corn Palace. I'll be there, dressed in orange and black. It's so much fun, having your hometown team going to State. Not as much fun as when my own kids were still in school, but still. Grandpa and I will be cheering the Lady Q's to victory. Jeannie has plans already (her loss). Go here www.argusleader.com on Sunday morning to see our victory headline in the sports section. Go Big Orange!

You can't put a price on fun.....

Well, it's the first of the month and the bills are rolling in. I'm going over the Discover card bill and there are lots of charges from our trip to DC the end of Jan. Each one brings back a different memory but the one that brought an actual smile to my face was- "Jan. 25 Hard Times Cafe Arlington VA $138.84". I never actually counted how many people we had crammed in that booth, but that was a lot of wings, beer and commeraderie for $138.84. A fitting Wing Night tribute to Wyatt. I know he was pleased. Whoever said it costs a lot to live on the East Coast? Why that's just crazy talk! I hope everyone had as much fun as I did.

I'd like to announce....

my candidacy for the SD House of Representatives, District 25. I took out my nominating petition from the Secretary of State in Pierre last Thursday. This is something I've thought about for years, but always talked myself out of. Now, with the encouragement of Lt. Governor Daugaard and others, I'm commited. We all promised Wyatt we would push the boundries of our safe little worlds, and I'm going to keep my promise. I know I can make myself a better person while giving the people of District 25 the voice in Pierre they need, want and deserve. The last line of the Jaycee creed keeps playing in my head, "....and service to humanity is the BEST WORK IN LIFE!" Now I
'll do my best to live up to that motto, and more. Wish me luck, and thanks in advance for your support.

Love is in the air- NOT

I'm sure everybody knows tomorrow is Valentines Day, if you don't, consider this a gift. I just saved your bacon. But seriously, the ads pimping everything from teddy bears to roses are everywhere. So, the other night I'm going through my nightly ritual of going to bed at midnight then waking up at 3:45 and not being able to sleep. So I go sit in the recliner and channel surf, maybe fall back asleep, maybe not. There are a lot of strange commercials on late night tv. This particular spot I refer to was sponsored by love@aol.com. The gist of ad was this- if you can't find love, maybe it's not you. Maybe it's the city you live in. Here are the top 10 cities to live in, in order, for the ultimate in hook-up-ability......
1- Atlanta
2- LA
3- Houston
4- Detroit
5- Dallas
6- Orlando
7- Philly
8- San Francisco
9- Denver
10- Boston

Now the thing that really caught my eye- it also listed the worst cities to find a mate. You are all aware of where my 2 oldest daughters reside, right? Well, here are the worst-
1- Washington, DC
2- Minneapolis/St. Paul

I guess that answers that question and a few more I had.

Peace Corps Volunteer

I checked the fallen Peace Corps Volunteer site today. I couldn't believe my eyes. Another volunteer died. Her name is Tessa Horan, she died on February 1st. She was sworn in sometime in January and had been on site since November in Tongo. She was 24, the same as Wyatt. I feel overwhelmed for her family. She has 2 younger brothers and a sister. I know what they are going through. You can see her website at www.tessahoran.com. My heart goes out to them. Now it is my turn to reach out like so many did to us.

Finally, some peace

If you've been following Ginger's blog, you know that straight answers as to what actually transpired the night of Wyatt's death have been few and far between. Non-existent, actually. What we do know has been the result of our own inquiries, for the most part. The part that was torturing us the most was; did Wyatt suffer? And could he have been saved had something been done immediately? Jeannie asked Dr. Shawn Culey to come to the house and interpet the autopsy report. Dr. Culey is the local doctor who came to the house to be with us the night of Wyatt's death, and one of the kindest, patient, compassionate human beings I've ever met. With his help, we learned that Wyatt couldn't have survived his internal injuries, even had help been close at hand. I will not repeat, out of respect to Wyatt, the summary of his injuries. Suffice it to say that he didn't suffer. And for that we are grateful.

Two Months

It has been two months today that Wyatt left this earth. Actually it was last night at about 6:00 pm that he died and it was about 9:30 pm that we found out about it. And now we are two months into a new lifetime. One that does not include our only son. Each day I wonder what the day will hold. And I live each day minute by minute. There is a new awareness that anything can happen in life. It is not safe or guaranteed to be happy. And though this sounds like living in fear, it really isn't. It is living in reality and truth. It opens the door to a life rich in awareness of the beauty that exists in the midst of the brokenness. It is so temporary, our life on this earth. Life consists of time, time consists of change, change consists of mystery, and mystery consists of God in our world. And when we draw our last breath we enter into the mystery of the presense of God. And that is where Wyatt is forever. God knows the number of our days even before our birth, he has plans for us. And though I will never understand why Wyatt's life was short, I trust God has never left him and in fact has drawn Wyatt to himself. So even though I will miss Wyatt with every fiber of my body as long as I live I know he is in heaven. And that will have to be enough for us all. I know the waves of grief will wash over me my whole life, they are a part of my new life. I know nothing can fill the part of my heart that has been amputated, and I don't want it to. But there is still life for me to live. And this new awareness of the beauty of the human spirit and the beauty of nature will sustain me. God has a plan and I choose to cooperate. He is with us even to the end. Wyatt I love you, you still live in my heart. Say hi to Grandma and Danny.

Today is a good day

I thought it was time to post again. I just want to share some updates I guess. The Peace Corps is trying to be very helpful. Next week we should have the full accident report and pictures of the hotel. At that point a medical person with the Peace Corps is going to go through everything with us. This person will answer questions, explain Wyatt's injuries, and try to give us a feeling of knowing the facts. I am thankful for this. It has relieved a lot of stress this week I think.
Also this week I have gotten so many emails from people who care. They are so healing to me. You know who you are, I love you for it! Last night I talked for two hours with Lauren. This is such a miracle that has resulted from Wyatt's death. Maybe we would have met someday, I don't know. But Lauren is amazing and I love her. I know we will always be close. I started going to my Bible study and to Renovare. I didn't know it I would ever feel like it again. I was able to share openly at Renovare, and to receive such kindness from my friends there. Greg and I and the girls have been able to talk and laugh. And we have a trip to look forward to in a couple of weeks. So you can see what is helping me, love. Thank you to all of you who love us. We love you too, from the bottom of our hearts. Through this sorrow, there are gifts. And there are things to learn. This is what is meant when the Bible says "Blessed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted". I never understood it until now. His rod and His staff do comfort me. I asked God "What are your rod and staff?" He is showing me, He is right here. His rod and staff are the lessons he will teach me if I reach out and hold onto his staff to guide me. They are all about love. Simple but profound. Love is where Wyatt lives now. I am learning to live one second to the next. It isn't about being good. It isn't about worrying about anything. It is about breathing in and out, living. And just choosing to love with that breathe, the one you are taking right now. And when you take a breathe that isn't filled with love, feel the difference. Wyatt is so close when I love. I am sure you all think I am off my rocker. But it really all we have. Because when Wyatt fell, in a split second he was gone. But God caught Him in that split second. And even though he seems so far away, how can that be so far? I don't think it is, I think it is right here in front of our faces. And each breathe you hold it the difference between being here and being there. Love never ends, so he isn't gone. Wyatt is in that pure love that he had for so many people, and the love we all had for him. I suppose this seems very abstract, but I can say with certainty it is true.